Subject Matter Experts

Leigh-Ann Zaharevich is the CEO of Aligned Performance. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked with business owners of micro businesses to large teams in macro organizations. Aligned Performance facilitates training for managers and leaders as well as team sessions. Leigh-Ann was personally trained by Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth, to support entrepreneurs as they grow. She teaches HR courses for the Business School at CU Denver. Leigh-Ann earned her Masters Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

As Senior Manager, Katie manages the strategy of the Advanced Industry Accelerator Program. She works directly with early stage and start-up companies, Colorado Research Institution Technology Transfer Offices, and Advanced Industry stakeholders. She oversees all Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants, Proof of Concept Grants and Infrastructure Grant contracts. She also oversees the AI Export Program as well as the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP).

Carolyn Terrell was previously employed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), as Supervisory Business Development Specialist for 20+ years. She retired from federal service in July 2019. During her tenure with the SBA, Ms. Terrell administered the 8a Business Development Program, the Small Disadvantaged Business Program, the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program, and the Women Owned Small Business Programs. She provided certified firms assistance with business development to include starting, developing and expanding their business and entrance into the government procurement arena. Ms. Terrell currently leverages her expertise consulting President’s/CEO’s of small and mid-size level with capture management and determining strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the business. She provides practical and proven suggestions to build an effective win strategy to compete successfully in the global economy and the federal sector. Ms. Terrell, is a graduate of Friends University, Wichita, KS, holding a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration/Management.

David Talon is a business growth, strategy and execution expert with 20+ years of experience leading new domestic and international business development, setting up distribution networks, increasing top-line revenues and building cohesive teams in the USA, Latin America, Europe and Asia. David has hands-on project management experience helping to create changes in the strategies, plans, systems, and procedures to rapidly increase sales, market penetration and new business growth. David is a Certified Executive Coach with a strong understanding of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) required to adapt business practices to local and regional market considerations. He focuses on early-stage and rapidly growing small-to-medium sized businesses ($0 – $50 Million) with a willingness and capability to expand in both US and foreign markets. David holds an MBA in International Business with a minor in Latin American Geopolitics and has lived in South America and Mexico.

Carrie Schiff is currently Chair of the Governor’s State of Colorado Economic Development Commission, as well as Co-Founding Partner of Sage Law Group. Carrie Schiff is a business lawyer specializing in the representation of technology companies and their investors in corporate, securities and transactional matters. As both a seasoned business executive and outside counsel, Ms. Schiff has participated in the development and execution of commercialization strategies for a range of companies, from global multinational companies to start-ups. Ms. Schiff represents clients in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing and supply chain, data and geospatial imagery, technology, alternative energy, e-commerce and digital gaming. Prior to co-founding Sage Law Group, Ms. Schiff was Chief Legal and Risk Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of MWH Global, Inc., a leading multinational, employee-owned civil engineering and construction firm based in Broomfield that was acquired by Stantec Inc. Before joining MWH, Ms. Schiff served as SVP, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Flextronics International, Ltd. (Nasdaq: FLEX), one of the largest global electronics manufacturing services companies. Her past in-house experience includes serving as SVP, Corporate Development and General Counsel at USA.NET, Inc. in Colorado Springs, an email outsourcing company. Ms. Schiff came to Boulder in 1993 to open the Colorado practice of Cooley LLP, where she was a Partner. Carrie is a certified Consultant with the Boulder Small Business Development Center and a member of its Board of Directors.